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    Behind The Mission - From enlisted linguist to flight nurse

    Capt. Noah Levins, Flight Nurse

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Edward Hermsen | Capt. Noah Levin, a flight nurse with the 153rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, poses...... read more read more

    CHEYENNE, WYOMING, UNITED STATES

    11.16.2025

    Story by Staff Sgt. Edward Hermsen 

    153rd Airlift Wing

    Behind The Mission - From enlisted linguist to flight nurse

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. Capt. Noah Levin, a flight nurse assigned to the 153rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, joined the 153rd via an ever evolving story that resembles a path many other members can relate to.

    A defining characteristic of many careers of the Air National Guard is all about finding a way to combine the opportunity of serving part time with the guard; with the personal, career and family priorities outside of the Guard.

    Levin first entered the Air Force as an Arabic linguist on active duty. After several years in intelligence, he cross-trained into respiratory therapy, a shift that ultimately led him toward medicine. Following his separation from active duty, he used the GI Bill to complete nursing school and later commissioned as a nurse with the New York Air National Guard.

    Today, he serves as a Flight Nurse/Aircrew Training Officer, balancing military service with his civilian career as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner for the VA. “Medicine is one of those fields where you’re never done learning,” he says. “If you’re not actively involved, your skills fade. You have to keep growing.”

    When Levin transitioned to the 153rd AES, he quickly realized that aeromedical evacuation demanded more than clinical competence. The challenge was learning to deliver care in an environment where noise, turbulence, and limited resources complicate every decision.

    “The question is never ‘What do I do?’” Levin said. “It’s ‘What do we do?’ Nothing happens without coordination between med techs, pilots, and loadmasters.”

    That collaborative mindset became even more critical as Levin assumed an additional role as an Aircrew Training Officer, responsible for ensuring personnel maintain clinical readiness and aircraft-specific proficiency. Maintaining perishable medical skills while also supporting flying operations created a new balancing act between civilian practice and military demands.

    Levin resolved the tension by refining his training approach and leaning on the experience of aircrew around him. The support he received, he said, was a defining part of joining the Wyoming team.
    “It’s the people,” Levin said. “Everyone is motivated, professional, and committed to doing the mission well. That makes you want to rise to their level.”

    Now marking his first year with the 153rd, Levin continues to integrate his clinical background with the operational requirements of aeromedical evacuation — ensuring that when patients need care in flight, the squadron is ready.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.16.2025
    Date Posted: 11.21.2025 13:32
    Story ID: 551233
    Location: CHEYENNE, WYOMING, US

    Web Views: 99
    Downloads: 2

    PUBLIC DOMAIN